Railway-switch.



M. unown.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

(Application filed Oct. 27, 1599.

(No Madel.)

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ATIDRI'LElE msluonms PETERS 00.. wovou'maxwnnmomn. n. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

MICHAEL onown, or C'IIILLICCTIIE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR or oNE-IIALF TO WILLIAM C. NIxoN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,274, dated July 24,1900.

Application filed October 27, 1899. Serial No. 734,920- (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL ODCWD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chillicothe, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railway-Switches, (Case No. 2,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, form- IO ing a part of this specification.

My invention relates to railway track switches, and has for its object the provision of improved mechanism intervening between the switch and switch-stand for more securely I5 connecting the head tie-bar with the goose neck employed for moving the tie-bar to operate the switch. Pitmen are usually employed for connecting the head tie-bar, which is limited to a longitudinal movement, with the gooseneck or crank located at the switchstand. In these switches the gooseneck rotates in a horizontal plane and is provided with a vertical stem which upon being rotated swings the gooseneck, which through the agency of the pitman moves the tie-bar and operates the switch.

My invention relates particularly to the means for uniting the pitman with the tiebar. Owing to the fact that there must be relative motion between the pitman and the tie-bar the joint between the same cannot be a rigid one, and bolts and nuts have heretofore been employed, which while securing these parts together also permit relative mo- 5 tion between the same; but owing to the frequent j olting to which the tie-bar is subjected when trains pass over the switch-points united thereby the bolts and nuts would frequently work loose, resulting in a disconnection between the pitman and tie-bar. The switchpoints thus being disconnected from the gooseneck and pitman are free to work from side to side, so that the switch will become out of set, thereby causing an obstruction to 5 the wheels of trains, making derailment liable. Many accidents in railway traffic are due to this imperfect joint between the pitman and tie-bar.

It is the object of my invention to provide an improved joint which will permit of the required relative motion between tie bar and pitman, but which is free from bolts and nuts, whereby the joint between the pitman and tie-bar cannot be broken. Generally speaking, the preferred embodiment of my invention comprises a pitman and tie-bar, one of which members, preferably the tiebar, being provided with a wrist-pin, while the other member is provided with a hole or journal-opening to receive the wrist-pin, the parts being assembled with the wrist-pin in a vertical position. -The wrist-pin is unthreaded, as is also the bore engaging the same, and in order 'to prevent displacement of the pitman longitudinally with relation to' the wrist-pin I preferably provide a hooked nose upon the pitman interposed between walls of 'a recess in the tie-bar, the nose and recess being so shaped that the pitman may rotate about the axis of the wrist-pin within the required range for the operation of the switch without causinga separation between the nose and its engaging recess. Modifications may be made, however, from the preferred embodiment of the invention without departing from its spirit. I

I will explain my invention more fullyby reference to the accompanying drawings,- illustrating the preferred embodiment there-- of, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing track-switch points, a switch-stand, and the intervening mechanism between the same and the switch-points. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the contiguous end portions of the pitman 85 and tie-bar. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the contiguous ends of the pitman and connecting-rod in the position in which they are placed in order to connect them together. Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of one end of the 0 tie-bar.

Like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference throughout the diiferent figures.

In the drawings I have shown the usual form of railway hand-switch, a switch-stand 5 a being placed upon one side of the trackrails, this switch-stand supporting a Verti- Cally-operating rod b, carrying-a gooseneck 0 upon its lower end. A crank-pin forms the connection between the gooseneck and one I00 end of the pitman d, the other end of the pitman being united with the tie-bar e, as will d and e, preferably the pitman d, is provided with a bearing which receives the wrist-pinf. The wristpin f is preferably formed of wrought-iron and is anchored at one end to an extension m, projecting longitudinally beyond the tie-bar. The pitman is provided with a hooked nose It, a recess intervening between the said nose and the journal portion of the pitman for receiving the transverse rib i of the tie-bar. The tie-bar is provided with a second extension Z, also projecting longitudinally thereof, the ribs or walls '11 and 70 serving to unite the longitudinal ex-' tensions l and m. 1

I do not wish in all instances to be limited to the employment of both walls i and It for the purpose of uniting the extensions 1 and m.

In assembling the pitman and tie-bar the pitman is preferably swung at right angles to the tie-bar to permit of the insertion of the wrist-pin within the corresponding journalopening in the pitman, after which the pitman and tie-bar may be swung approximately into alinement to secure the engagement of the nose h with the recess g. By reference more particularly to Fig. 1 it will readily be seen how the extension m, the wrist-pin f, extension Z, and the nose h'cooperate in securing the parts together without the aid of nuts, which are likely to come loose, the extension m serving to prevent displacement in one direction longitudinally of the wrist-pin, while theextension l, cooperating with the nose 71, serves to prevent displacement of the pitman in the other direction. While I have shown the extensions 1 and m and the wrist-pin f provided upon the head tie-bar and the extension it upon the pitman, it is obvious that thisconstruction may be reversed, and I wish it to be understood that I claim not only the specific embodiment of the invention shown,

but also a reversalof the construction shown. It will be observedthatthe extension Z serves as an abutment when it is engaged by the nose h. In this way the strain incident to moving the rails by the pitman is taken up by the extension l instead of by the wrist-pin f. In this way the pivotal connection is relieved of a strain which would soon tend to destroy or weaken it.

Persons maliciously inclined cannot readily disconnect the tie-bar and piston when they 'are united in accordance with my invention.

The device of my invention may be used in other connections than in the construction of railway switching mechanism.

It is obvious that changes may readily be made in the preferred embodiment of my in-. vention herein shown and particularly described, and I do not therefore wish to be limited to the precise constructionshown; but,

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with the member for engaging the rails of a member for operating the same, pivotally connected therewith, one

of said members being provided with a socket and the other with a nose which can enter the socket when it is swung into operative position, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the tie-bar, of a pitman pivotally connected therewith, the tie- .bar being provided with a socket and the pitman being provided with a nose arranged to enter said socket, substantially as described. In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 23d day of October, A. D. 1899.

MICHAEL ODOWD.

Witnesses:

' GEORGE L. CRAGG,

(J. E. HUBERT. 

